by Queener Law | Dec 16, 2014 | Auto Accident, Tennessee
Driving at night can be daunting for drivers of all ages. Older and younger Tennessee drivers may experience a lack of confidence when traveling through the dark, as it may be harder to determine how far away a vehicle is and how fast it is going. Some drivers may have difficulty handling bright light reflections and glare from oncoming headlights as well. In fact, there are three common factors that can affect a motorist’s ability to drive safely at night and avoid an unnecessary car accident or injury.
Low-light conditions
Most everyone has some level of difficulty seeing in low-light conditions. As people age, however, changes are more likely to occur. According to Harvard Health Publications, the eye muscle that adjusts in size in order to control how much light enters the eye loses its strength over time. While these changes may not be as obvious in bright light conditions, night-time drivers are more likely to notice the difference. The number of rods, or cells that are crucial for night vision, that are located in the eye decrease as people get older, and their lens may become cloudy as well. All of these physiological changes can contribute to bad night-time vision.
Decreased reaction time
According to the National Safety Council, vision contributes to at least 90 percent of a driver’s reaction time, which can be impaired in low-light conditions. This visual impairment can lead to decreased reaction time to other drivers’ erratic behavior, people or objects in the road and inclement weather conditions, resulting in a car accident. Distracted motorists who are driving at night pose an even greater risk to other motorists and pedestrians on the road.
Bright lights, reflections and glare
When bright lights are shined directly in a person’s line of sight, the light tends to scatter within the eye causing disability glare, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Not only can disability glare decrease the distance that drivers are able to see, but drivers are more likely to react quicker and experience faster recovery times as a result of the bright light.
Young drivers are often inexperienced when it comes to driving in low-light conditions. Unfortunately, this led to a tragic accident involving an SUV with four teenagers and a large tractor trailer, according to WKRN News. Two teenagers were sent to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, while two other teens were pronounced dead at the accident site. The teen driver allegedly paused briefly while making a left-hand turn in front of an approaching tractor trailer. The truck was not able to stop in time and crashed into the vehicle.
Since most people who engage in night-time driving are affected by some degree of glare, limited eyesight or a decreased ability to respond to a situation, they are encouraged to drive cautiously. People should give themselves plenty of time to get where they are going, and avoid distracted driving in order to ensure safe travel.
by Queener Law | Dec 15, 2014 | Tennessee, Trucking Accident
It takes a highly skilled and trained driver to operate a large commercial truck weighing up to 80,000 pounds. These massive vehicles pose a significant threat to Tennessee motorists when the trucks are operated by incompetent drivers. People who have been involved in a devastating truck accident may have sustained a severe injury, extensive property damage and emotional trauma. Some may have lost a loved one as a result of truck driver negligence. It may be difficult to determine who to hold liable for the extensive damage created in a complicated truck accident. Although many people place the blame solely on the negligent truck driver, the trucking company may also bear responsibility for the collision, and the turmoil it creates.
Truck company responsibilities
Truck companies are responsible for hiring qualified truck drivers who are able to do their job well. Some of their responsibilities include:
- Ensuring that all drivers have taken and passed a drug test and criminal background check.
- Ensuring that all drivers have a clean driving record, free from any significant accidents or penalties.
- Ensuring that all drivers have a valid commercial driver’s license that has not been altered in any way.
- Ensuring that each truck in the fleet is functioning properly, and that all safety equipment is well maintained.
According to the American Trucking Association, there are currently 30,000 to 35,000 available truck driving positions in the U.S. and more freight than trucking companies can handle. In an attempt to meet strict deadlines and move more freight, some trucking companies may ignore federal Hours of Service regulations, which dictate how much time a driver can spend behind the wheel.
Case in point
A high-profile truck accident involving famed actor and comedian Tracy Morgan brought national attention to the issue of negligent trucking companies and truck drivers. According to Businessweek, Morgan and several other passengers who were traveling in a limousine that was rear-ended by a commercial truck have filed a third-party lawsuit against the trucking company responsible for hiring and scheduling the truck driver.
The well-known trucking company had sent the driver to pick up his truck, which was located 700 miles away from his residence in Georgia. Once the truck driver arrived in Delaware, he picked up his 40 ton tractor trailer and started his normal driving shift. When he smashed into Morgan’s limousine in New Jersey, he had been awake for 24 hours. In addition to violating the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s restrictions on driving time, the tractor trailer involved in the accident was equipped with advanced safety technology that was not working properly when the accident occurred.
Trucking companies can be held liable for any damage, injuries and loss of life that occurs as a result of driver negligence, according to a legal doctrine referred to as respondeat superior. This theory simply states that an employer may be held liable for their employees’ actions if they occur within the realm of their employment. The exact liability charges are ultimately dependent on each unique truck accident case.
by Queener Law | Dec 11, 2014 | Auto Accident, DUI, Tennessee
While U.S. drunk driving fatalities increased by 4.6 percent from 2011 to 2012, Tennessee saw a 14 percent increase in the number of people killed by drunk drivers during that time, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Mothers Against Drunk Driving reported that 295 people were killed in Tennessee as the result of drunk driving car accidents in 2012, accounting for 29 percent of all motor vehicle accident deaths in the state. In an attempt to lower this high fatality rate, Tennessee lawmakers have enacted legislation to keep drunk drivers off of the road.
What is considered drunk driving?
In Tennessee, people with a blood alcohol content level of 0.08 percent or higher are considered intoxicated, and may be charged with a DUI. People who drive with a BAC of 0.08 percent may have trouble perceiving the distance and speed of other vehicles on the road, according to the NHTSA. They may also experience short-term memory loss, concentration problems and the inability to control their speed.
Drivers with higher levels of intoxication may find it difficult to stay in their lane of traffic, and are less likely to respond to emergency situations. All of the dangerous effects of alcohol intoxication place other motorists in danger of serious injury or death if they become involved in an automobile accident.
What is Tennessee doing about the problem?
MADD reports that approximately one-third of all people who are convicted of drunk driving have been arrested or convicted of a DUI in the past. In response to the significant increase in drunk driving deaths in Tennessee, the state enacted a law requiring all convicted DUI offenders to get an ignition interlock device installed in their vehicles, according to MADD. These cellphone-sized devices are essentially small breath test analyzers that prevent the vehicle from starting if the driver’s blood alcohol content level is above a preset limit.
Ignition interlock devices have proven to be successful in keeping drunk drivers off of the roads in many states, as reported by MADD. Convicted drunk drivers in Tennessee are also required to perform community service, pay fines and court costs and enroll in a court-ordered DUI education course. They will also have their driver’s licenses suspended for a time depending on the specific circumstances of the crime.
By enforcing the new ignition interlock device law, as well as the other strict legal consequences of drunk driving, Tennessee hopes to see a decrease in the number of drunk driving deaths in the future.
by Queener Law | Nov 12, 2014 | Brain Injury, Kentucky, Tennessee
Not only do car and motorcycle accidents have serious emotional and financial repercussions, they can have severe, life-changing physical effects on people as well. New research on the human hormone, progesterone, and its potential link to traumatic brain injuries, however, may offer car accidentsurvivors new hope in alleviating their brain injury symptoms and regaining their quality of life.
No current treatment
The human brain is a complex mass of cells and each cell works to control some part of the human body and its biological systems. When a person hits their head, and the brain is damaged, it leads to the death or weakening of these cells. If a person suffers a serious brain injury, it means a significant number of brain cells are dead or are in the process of dying. This presents an enormous challenge for physicians as the death of these cells can reduce the amount of oxygen flowing to the heart, lungs and muscles, threatening the life of the patient or leaving them in a comatose or much-altered state.
Currently, there are no curative treatment options for people who suffer from brain injuries and therefore, no steps can be taken to prevent further damage from occurring as cells continue to die. The only options medical professionals have is to monitor TBI patients, facilitate their needs and attempt to prevent further neurological damage from occurring, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
Potential breakthrough
Researchers may have found a way to minimize the damaging effects that brain injuries have on victims of car and motorcycle accidents. According to ABC 7 News, researchers believe that the hormone, progesterone, which is most often associated with the regulation of the female reproductive system, has the ability to protect neurons from secondary brain injuries. Progesterone is thought to reduce swelling of the brain, minimize cell death and reconstruct the blood-brain barrier.
A phase three clinical trial is currently in progress to study the long-term possibilities and safety of progesterone on brain injury patients. Patients at 150 locations in multiple countries are given a continuous supply of the hormone for five days, and then rechecked six months after the treatment has ended to evaluation whether there is any marked progression. The study is blind so patients and their families do not know whether they were given the hormone or a placebo and the hormone must be first administered within 8 hours of the injury occurring. Researchers plan to use 1,200 patients with severe brain injury in the global study. If the study is a success, it could become the first real treatment for brain injury.
by Queener Law | Nov 11, 2014 | Motorcycle Accident, Tennessee
Motorcycle fatalities in Tennessee have increased dramatically, from 42 deaths in 1998 to 134 deaths in 2013, according to the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security. The rise in motorcycle causalities in Tennessee during that 15-year period has been steady, and mirrors an increase in motorcycle fatalities and serious injuries across the nation. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports a national increase from 2,334 motorcycle deaths in 1998 to 5,080 fatalities in 2012. State officials are looking for ways to decrease the number of motorcycle accidents and increase motorcyclists’ safety on Tennessee roadways.
Before finding a way to resolve the rise in deaths due to motorcycle accidents, it is crucial to find the potential root causes for this staggering increase in fatalities. According to the United States Department of Transportation, a surge in motorcycle registrations since 1997 may provide information as to why more people are getting into motorcycle accidents. From 1997 to 2006, motorcycle registrations in the U.S. rose by 75 percent. With a greater number of motorcycles traveling on U.S. roadways, more collisions are likely.
Distracted driving
New advances in technology over the past 15 years have added another cause of motorcycle accidents. Distraction.gov reports that distracted drivers were responsible for the deaths of 3,328 people in 2012. Distracted driving auto accidents injured over 421,000 people that same year. Motorists, who use their cellphones, program their navigation devices or change the DVDs in their cars’ entertainment center while driving, may fail to acknowledge smaller motorcyclists riding alongside them. Improper turns and failure to yield are just a few ways that distracted driving can result in a devastating motorcycle crash.
A 48-year-old Kansas motorist admitted to engaging in distractive activities while driving, which may have caused him to hit an elderly man who was riding his motorcycle. According to Kansas First News, the driver was operating a pickup truck and attempting to change a CD when he collided with the motorcyclist, who was killed as a result of the accident.
Failure to yield
Failure to yield is another common cause of deadly motorcycle accidents. The Knoxville News Sentinel reported that a biker was hit by a vehicle that was attempting to make a turn. The motorcyclist was thrown onto the hood of another vehicle waiting at a stop sign and later died. The motorist was given a citation for failing to yield to the motorcycle, but did not receive any criminal charges.
Due to an increased number of motorcycles on national and state roadways, as well as a growing number of motorcycle fatalities, many state and national organizations, including the NHTSA, have developed campaigns designed to bring awareness to this deadly problem.
by Queener Law | Nov 10, 2014 | Tennessee, Trucking Accident
Although driving a large commercial truck requires skill and concentration, some truck drivers engage in distractive behaviors while sitting behind the wheel for an extended period of time. Just as distracted driving is extremely dangerous for Tennessee motorists, it is especially hazardous for large truck operators, as they are responsible for handling vehicles weighing up to 80,000 pounds. When truck drivers remove their focus off of the road it can result in devastating truck accidents.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 3,802 people lost their lives in large truck accidents in 2012. Approximately 107 of those deaths occurred in Tennessee and many of them stemmed from distracted truck drivers.
Types of truck driver distractions
According to U.S. News, the following activities are significant sources of truck driver distraction:
- Talking or texting on a cellphone: Engaging in these activities while driving inhibits a truck driver’s ability to mentally focus on the road. Texting while driving is also against the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s regulations, which ban the practice for commercial truck drivers in America.
- Eating: Driven by the need to meet an important deadline or make some addition money on their next paycheck, truck drivers may choose to have their meal while behind the wheel. Not only does eating and drinking while driving require the truck driver to remove their hands from the steering wheel, but spilled food can create a vehicular hazard.
- Programming navigation devices and switching radio stations: Whether truck drivers are adjusting the radio, searching for a CD or programming a navigation device, their eyes, hands and mental focus are taken away from the task of driving. This brief interference increases the risk of serious injury to other motorists on the road.
A distracted truck driver was charged with second-degree murder, six counts of criminal damage and 13 instances of endangerment stemming from a devastating truck accident. According to the Huffington Post, the truck driver’s dash camera recorded him watching videos on his cellphone while driving along the Arizona highway. It also recorded the commercial truck quickly approaching a law enforcement vehicle, which was parked alongside the road. The tractor trailer was going 65 miles per hour when it struck the vehicle, instantly killing the officer inside.
Taking action
In an attempt to reduce the number of serious injuries and fatalities that occur each year as a result of distracted truck drivers, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has enacted a ban on texting and driving. The law also restricts truck drivers from reaching for and holding a cellular device while driving. Truck drivers caught engaging in these illegal behaviors may face significant fines of up to $11,000. Although hands free cellular devices are legal to use, many studies show the inherent dangers that cognitive distraction has on commercial truck drivers.
